To Become
by Cappoquin's Calling
Summary: Kashikoi Shiro is the reincarnation of Uzumaki Naruto into another universe after Naruto's death in his own world. Shiro is faced with the challenges of trusting people and adjusting to being a part of a different but still the same Konoha. On indefinate Hiatus.  Sorry. :
1. Chapter 1

This is my First Fic….please be gentle with me….

A/N: I do not own anything of Naruto…

Chapter One:

Kashikoi Shiro was a quiet child, of that Sarutobi Hiruzen was certain. Shiro also dressed to cover up the past, with long pants, jacket, and mask, Shiro-chan was small for his age of nine, most likely due to the horrible malnutrition he suffered when he was younger. Hiruzen still felt horrified at the memory of a young boy, so emaciated that you could count his ribs, walking carefully down the road. Hiruzen had been on the way back to Konoha after his yearly meeting with the Fire Daimyo.

He was brought out of his memories by a soft voice.

"Jii-chan…"

"Ah, sorry Shiro-chan, just lost in my thoughts."

Sapphire Blue eyes regarded him carefully as they peered out from under white bangs, a small sardonic smirk adorning the scarred face of Shiro.

"Don't get lost, Jii-chan, you never know where your thoughts will take you."

It was in moments like these that Hiruzen could almost forget that Shiro was a child. With a small lithe stature, spiky white hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a scarred body and mind, it sometimes seemed entirely possible that Shiro was just a very small man with a high pitched voice. But then the moment would pass, and Shiro would give him the slightest of smiles that hinted at the child that Shiro should have been, leaving the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha feeling depressed at the state of their world that an innocent child such as Shiro would be targeted if only for the fact that he had existed. It angered him as well, and made him want to hunt down and kill those who had hurt the child that stood before him.

"Jii-chan. Stop thinking. The way you're staring at me might make people mistake you for a pedophile…"

After sputtering for a moment or two, Hiruzen sighed.

"Forgive me Shiro-chan. I was thinking of things not suitable for conversation."

Looking out of his office's window, Hiruzen couldn't help but wonder at the beauty of the day outside. And then look at the stack of paper work waiting ominously for him on his desktop.

"Remember what you have been taught, Shiro-chan, and do me proud today." He said as he mournfully turned away from the window to begin to do battle with his most hated enemy.

"Do not worry, Hokage-sama. I will not disappoint you, dattebayo!" said Shiro passionately, the childish phrase slipping from his lips before he could stop it. With red lining his cheeks, Shiro gave a final bow to his grandfather figure before hurriedly leaving the Hokage's office.

Bemusedly, Hiruzen could only repeat, "Dattebayo?"

****

"Settle Down!" ordered an Academy teacher.

"I am proud to say that you all have passed and are now going to be given your team assignments! Team 1: Akashi Sori, Haruto Minosa, Korado Aoi!"

The team assignments continued in the same order until team seven.

"Team Seven: Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, Kashikoi Shiro!"

Uchiha Obito could be heard groaning and moaning about having to be on a team with Kakashi, the top of the class, and Shiro, the scary silent guy…

Kakashi could be seen doing nothing, sitting pretty, and hiding his annoyance.

Shiro was watching his new teammates with a strange feeling of apprehension. This was something he'd been preparing for, ever since he had entered Konoha clutching the Hokage's hand tightly with his own small hand. Shiro knew that what followed after this would not be easy, nor would it be fun. Shiro had seen so much more than his new teammates, and experienced so much more, that he knew that it would be hard for him to relate with them.

Sure, he knew about Kakashi's father, and the fact that Uchiha Obito was seen as a failure by his clan, but that did not compare to what Shiro had seen and done. Because before Shiro was Shiro, he was a nameless street rat, with only six scars on his face and the clothes on his back to call his own. But even before that, or after, depending on how you looked at it, Shiro had been called Naruto. He had killed Madara Uchiha, but not without a cost. The world that Shiro had called home when he was Naruto was ripped away from him. He, Naruto, had been flung from his own world, to one parallel to his own. He had been reborn as the child of a prostitute in one of the roughest cities in Fire Country. He was a strange child, and that had scared those around him, from the mother who had given birth to him only to abandon him without a name as soon as she could pop him out, and to those who would otherwise have preyed upon a child left alone to die.

Shiro had been born with white hair, and old eyes. Not only that, but he had been born with six scars, three on each side of his face, and decidedly a decidedly large will to survive.

An escaped woman from a mad house had come across his baby self, and decided in her delusional state that he was the child that she had lost recently. Shiro was thankfull for the woman's delusions, as they had allowed him to live. When he was two, the woman who he had dubbed Seishin'ijousha, was mugged and killed for a meager amount of two yen.

Shiro had used all of the skills he could that he had learned in his previous life to survive. But a two year old could only do so much. No matter the skills the mind possessed, if the body was unable, all the skills in the world were useless. He had managed, stealing what he could, and running from all those who tried to take advantage of him. But, as it was said before, there is only so much that a body of a two year old can do. There had been times in which Shiro had longed for an escape, any escape if only to get away from what was happening to him.

Pedophiles had roamed the streets, unchecked by any one. Murderers and thieves had converged on the weak. It was a kill or be killed life, and Shiro had realized that early on. There was no one to care for him, not the mother who had birthed him, or the unknown father that existed somewhere out in the world, ignorant of the son that they had given life to.

Despite having the memories of an adult, Shiro truly was still a child. A child who wanted to believe in fairytales and hero's. Shiro was only human. Sometimes he would cry in despair, and sometimes he wondered what would happen if he just gave up… would he go on to the after life, or would he be reincarnated again, forever unable to find peace?

When Shiro was five (he estimated), when he met his Jii-chan. It had been a long time since he had eaten, and he hadn't been quick enough to get away from a mugger who wanted his only blanket the night before. As it was nearing winter, a blanket was perhaps the most essential thing needed to survive in the streets…besides food. Both of which Shiro had lacked at the time…

Shiro had known that he needed food, and soon, because he could feel the black fuzzies threatening his vision due to hunger and exhaustion. So he had started walking along the road that lead to the wealthier district of town. The town, Unko-Uchi, was well known for its lawlessness and gambling houses, but what the Hokage of Konoha was doing there was anyone's guess. (Later on, Shiro privately thought that it was because Jii-chan was to lazy to take the long way around, and had cut through U.U. because it made his trip shorter, despite the fact that if he was reported to have been seen in U. U., his wife Biwako would kill him…after castrating him.)

To make an already long story short, Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself coming across a young boy with enormous potential, stuck in a town that was killing the boy.

For Shiro, meeting the Sandaime Hokage had been like a heart attack. Brutal and unexpected… from his memories as Naruto, the Hokage had been the only one to love and care for him as a child. So seeing a healthy younger Sandaime was emotionally overwhelming for Shiro.

Hiruzen had looked Shiro in the eyes, and smiled. That one gesture that had become so foreign to him in the years since his reincarnation, that it was the final straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. Shiro had cried, and clung to the Hokage with all of his might (which was not much). It was a surprised and saddened Hiruzen who learned that a single smile was the first gentle act that the boy had experienced from another person.

Even though he had known the Hokage through his past memories, Shiro was still wary of Hiruzen. He could not put aside the years of mistreatment both at the hands of those who had surrounded him, and Seishin'ijousha. Though she may have been the reason he was alive, that had been the only good thing that she had done for him. As she had been prone to psychotic episodes, it was actually very lucky that he had survived her care.

It had taken days, but Hiruzen managed to gain a modicum of trust from the child. After discovering the boy's true hair color (at first it had seemed brown from the dirt) he had started calling him Shiro. It would be later that he gifted him with the name of Kashikoi, which meant wise. (A/N: I think that this is right, but please correct me if I am wrong)

Shiro had come back to Konoha with the Hokage, holding tightly to the man's hand, afraid that if he let go, everything would slip away like a dream. But it wasn't a dream, and Kashikoi Shiro became a citizen of Konoha, and soon after, a ninja in training.

Now, four years after arriving in Konoha, Shiro was ready to begin his career as a ninja. He would try his hardest to make Jii-chan proud of him…

"Team Seven?" questioned a young blonde haired man. "You're with me."

Shiro stood quickly and quietly made his way over to the man, Uchiha-san and Hatake-san not far behind.

As the blonde led them up onto the academy's roof, Shiro was struck with a sudden sense of déjà vu. The faintest hint of a smile could be seen in Shiro's eyes as he took in the roof's scenery.

"Well, since I know nothing about you three, how about we introduce ourselves to each other? I'll go first!" said the man cheerfully.

"My name is Namikaze Minato, my hobby is fuuinjutsu, creating jutsu's, and hanging out with my girlfriend. My dream is to become the next Hokage… I like ramen, my girlfriend, and Konoha… I don't especially dislike anything…" Namikaze-Sensei's blonde bangs framed his pretty boy face and mischevious blue eyes, his forehead protector holding back most of his hair from his face.

"Your turn, Uchiha."

"My name is Uchiha Obito, I will be the greatest Uchiha that ever lived, and I'm going to be your rival for the Hokage position! I hate Kakashi-teme, and Shiro scares me…"said the Uchiha with a shiver.

Shiro wasn't sure whether to be amused, disturbed, or insulted.

Minato gave Obito a measuring look, before pointing to Kakashi.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no dreams, likes, or dislikes. I will serve Konoha honorably in order to restore my family name."

Shiro was unsure of Kakashi's introduction. In Naruto's memories, the man had been an irritating pest, not a mindless drone. But then Shiro remembered what made Kakashi that way. Obito's death.

"Namikaze-sensei? Because this is war time, this is our final team, is it not?" questioned Shiro.

"Yes…it is. And your introduction is?"

Shiro hesitated, and then carefully took off his ever present jacket and mask. Minato jumped slightly as Obito gave a startled yelp. Hiding beneath Shiro's jacket and mask were scars upon scars.

"Because we are to be a team, I will show you what I look like. I may scare you Obito, and I am sorry for that, but it was not through my own intent… My name is Kashikoi Shiro. My dream is to prove my worth, and my existence. I want to be remembered after I die for something great that _I_ did. I love Konoha, and hate the Past."

After his introduction, Shiro sat down, absently tracing six prominent scars on his face before covering himself once again.

Kakashi was regarding him with something akin to detached discomfort, while Obito and Minato were trying to process what they had seen.

Shiro had not shown his team his body for no reason. He had shown his body because these people were to be his nakama, his precious people, and while they would have to earn his trust, he would take the first step. After all, wasn't give and take an integral part of building trust? While it would be a long time before Shiro could honestly consider Minato, Obito and Kakashi as close to him, Shiro was tired of being alone. Besides Jii-chan and his wife, Shiro had no one. And even if it was painfull, Shiro was going to try to open up to these people who stood before him. Because, in not to long, they would be fighting for their lives together, counting on one another to have each other's backs. And when that time came, Shiro needed to be reminded that he was not alone anymore.

****

**Please read and review.**

**So just to clear a few things up. Shiro is the reincarnation of Naruto, who when he defeated Madara was killed. For some messed up reason he's reborn to a prostitute and abandoned. So then along came the sandaime, and woot! Little Shiro chan is saved from Unko-Uchi town. He then goes to Konoha and gets healthy, and enrolls in ninja classes. Because he had Naruto's memories, he know's all that he needed to in the Academy, and so was advanced by three years into Kakashi and Obito's class. **

**While Shiro may seem to trusting, especially after what he's been through in the first five years, he was an incredibly trusting guy when he was Naruto, so while his experiences as Shiro have tempered his trusting nature, he is still trusting at the base of things.**

**Love**

**C.C.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for taking so long, but I've been pretty sick lately. First food poisoning, and now I feel like I'm hacking up a lung.** *_* **any way…here it is….Chapter two.**

**Disclaimer: Amazing, isn't it, that I, a humble teenager, should own this wonderful series? Pfft…mermermer…I'm just full of shit today, aren't I?**

"Obito-san, glaring at the tree will accomplish nothing whatsoever."

Obito stopped glaring at the tree, only to start glaring at the annoying brat named Shiro, who despite having the appearance of a creeper in training, had an annoying tendency to be sarcastic and funny in regard to the failures of the people around him.

'It was amusing to see the little ants run around from his throne high above the rest of the mort-' "Ack! Minato-Sensei!"

Minato looked down his nose superiorly flaring his nostrils, before he burst out laughing at the effort to look haughty. "Now, now Shiro-chan…no need to think lesser of the mere mortals who cannot reach our superiority! Hehehehe!"

Obito, now steaming mad, charged at the tree upon which Shiro and Minato resided. He was going up, up, up and…down. Damn, that looked like it hurt.

"Fools." Muttered Kakashi from his own position in a tree, while Shiro smirked lightly at his fellow genin.

"Obito-kun, when you go up the tree, put just enough chakra into the soles of your feet so that you will stay on. And don't get distracted by Shiro-chan and me teasing you, ok?"

"Hai, hai, Sensei."

"Now, again, Obito-kun."

Up, up, he's got it, up, up, CRASH…never mind.

Obito, now sporting a black eye and busted lip, happily charged into the ramen shop, injuries forgotten for now. Shiro outwardly showed no reaction to the shop, but inwardly he was jumping up and down in a hyperactive manner reminiscent of his former life. Kakashi just looked at them and muttered "fools". It seemed to be Kakashi's new catch phrase or something…

Minato-Sensei had perhaps the most surprising reaction. He was hugging the sign outside the shop, whispering to it and kissing it like you would a lover. It was slightly nauseating to watch.

"Sensei…should we tell your girlfriend that you found a new lover?"

"Wha-? God no!"

"Then kindly stop fondling the sign so we don't have to fight the urge to through up at your apparent love of inanimate objects."

"…Shiro…you know to much about adult things for a nine year old."

"Sensei. I'm from Unko-Uchi originally, what you think is inappropriate for me is common knowledge there."

"Ah, Shiro-chan, corrupted before I had a chance to save him!" shouted Obito, quite randomly.

"Obito…do you even know what the birds and the bee's are?"

"Of course I do! They're the little flying thingy's that buzz and fly around right?"

"I leave you to him, Sensei." Stated Shiro solemnly, inwardly enjoying the brief look of panic that appeared on his sensei's face.

_Dreamscape:_

_ An explosion rocked the ground, and sent boulders flying in Naruto's direction. As he dodged them, Naruto's mind raced to find a way out of this situation. Madara had attacked without warning, massacring civilians and shinobi alike with no discrimination. _

_ "Naruto!"_

_ That was Sakura! She was still alive! "Naruto! Where are you!"_

_ "Sakura-chan! Over here!"_

_ Naruto smiled brightly as Sakura's distinctive pink hair appeared in his line of vision. She smiled in relief at the sight of him, but turned to worry when she saw the blood running down his face._

_ Just as she was about to ask him if he was alright, Madara appeared._

_ Naruto saw him just in time to realize that Madara was launching an attack at them, and there was no way to get out of the way in time._

Shiro woke up suddenly, breathless and sweaty. He raised a hand to his pounding heart and took deep calming breaths. It was over. He could change it all, before it happened. Sakura wouldn't, wouldn't…

Sakura wouldn't die. Not for him. She would live, and so would so many others that had died from Madara's attack. Sakura had saved him that day, her body taking the brunt of the destructive attack that Madara had sent at them.

But it hadn't happened yet. And it never would, if he had anything to say about it. Sakura, Sasuke, Chouji, Shikamaru, Ino, Lee, Neji, Gai, Kakashi, Asuma, and everyone else would live long and happy lives, no matter the cost to Shiro.

It was his destiny, after all.

"Neh, neh, Sensei, can't we do something other than d-rank missions?" pleaded Obito.

Shiro fought a yawn, and mentally prepared for the tantrum that was sure to follow if Obito didn't get his way. He was surprised then, when Minato-Sensei looked thoughtful and acquiesced to Obito's request. (**Hehehe, couldn't resist the Pirates of the Caribbean inference)**

** "**I guess you guys are ready for something more challenging. Your training has progressed well. I'll go see the Hokage and see what c-rank missions he has. You guys go pack and get ready."

Shiro nodded, and went home to pack. While he was packing, he recalled his first c-rank mission that had almost ended in disaster in his previous life. But he had matured…ever so slightly because of that mission.

It was unfortunate, really, that Shiro didn't know what the bridge had been called after they left. It would have been nice to know. Oh well, no use in thinking of things that you'll never know the answer to, right?

With a sigh, Shiro tied his now customary green bandanna around his head. White hair stuck out in the best of situations, and green blended into the leaves a lot better.

Picking up his bag, Shiro surveyed the team photo that lay next to his bed side table. He was the shortest, and the youngest of their team, with Kakashi just beating him in age and height. Obito was the tallest of the Genin, almost a full head taller than Shiro, and a few years older as well. Minato stood out against his genin team, bright yellow hair shining, and white cloak flying about in the breeze. Minato was bright, and fun, and most important, he was alive. The legendary yellow flash of Konoha, yet to be Hokage, was alive and destined for greater things than any one but Shiro would know.

**So, hope you enjoyed it! **

**Please read and review! Next chapter will have more dreams and the teams first c-rank mission.**

**Quinn**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey. This is Quin. Any idea's on Shiro-Chan's pairing? It won't happen for a long time but I kinda want to know what people think.**

**Disclaimer: nope. No way in hell do I own the Naruto series… woulda thought that that particular fact was quite obvious.**

(*_*)

**8:00 AM**

The mission was quite simple, in theory. They were to go on an escort mission to Tea country with a merchant named "Gambo". He was afraid that bandits would steal his merchandise of cloth and spices, and had contracted a team of ninja's for protection. He was also worried about running into the conflict happening between the ninja lands. He had been skeptical when he had first seen the size of his protection, but one death stare later, courtesy of Shiro, they were on their way.

It was a beautiful morning, with only a cloud or two floating lazily through the sky. Spring was starting, and flowers were starting to bloom, filling the air with a fragrant smell. Shiro, in a rare instance of childishness had picked up some dandelions, and begun weaving them into chains, if only for something to occupy himself with until his services were needed.

Now, if only Obito would stop snickering at him. There was nothing wrong with a boy making a daisy chain, it was just a mistaken assumption that only girls did it! Shiro stopped thinking so hard, because he was justifying himself to an idiot in his head. An idiot who hadn't even stopped snickering to realize that his underwear was completely visible- were those pink hearts?

Shiro smirked, looked at Minato, then nodded at Obito, silently asking for permission. When Minato nodded jovially, Shiro made his move.

"ACK! WHAT THE HELL SHIRO-SAN! NO WEDGIES!"

Shiro pouted cutely at the reprimand, before realizing that he was indeed pouting, and made his face impassive once more. Not that any one could see behind his mask. It was pride that forced him to do so. Male pride. The pride that drove males to extreme lengths to appear cool, but had the unfortunate side effect of making the male in question look like an idiot.

Gambo, meanwhile, was chattering at Minato-sensei about the astronomical prices of things these days, his various aches and pains, along with the fact that 'In his day' youngsters treated elders with respect, ect. Never mind the fact that Gambo was 45, at the most. Minato looked just about ready to through one of his special Kunai and escape from the crotchety man.

Kakashi, ever the model shinobi, was on the lookout, kunai in hand.

What a boring dude. All work, and no play. No wonder he had no friends. He could be compared to the nerd who looked down his bespectacled nose at the masses who dared offer him friendship. He would never befriend any one whom he had deemed lesser than himself. Unfortunately, the nerd in question would have a major case of narcissism, and never think of anyone as an equal. Then, the nerd would go on to develop a whole new brand of electronic devices and make enough money to by the world. He would rule, and turn all people into servants whose only duty were to amuse him. But he would die all alone, with no one there, and the people would rejoice!

And Shiro needed to calm his over active imagination. If anyone ever heard his thoughts, they would lock him in the loooony bin. But that might not be such a bad thing…loony bins had padded walls, which would be really fun to bounce off of.

Shiro, crazy? Pfft! No, whatever would give you such an idea? Heheheh…ahem.

Shiro stiffened as he sensed two pockets of empty space. When people masked their chakra, they forgot that everything had chakra, so when they masked it, they had to leave a little chakra visible, or else there would be a person sized hole of emptiness.

"Minato-Sensei…"

"Hai, Shiro-chan?"

"Plan of action?"

"Hmm…have fun, but don't kill them. I want to see what you can do."

"Hai, Sensei."

"Sensei?" asked Obito, in response to Minato and Shiro's conversation.

"Yeeeees, Obito?" asked Minato, the picture of complacency.

"Wha-Ah, Shit on a Stick!" shouted Obito as Shiro chucked a kunai past his head.

What ensued was an excellent show of skill on the parts of Shiro and to a lesser extent, Kakashi.

Shiro took the first enemy nin, a glance at the headband showed they were from Iwa, weaving his way around the shinobi. Shiro, using chakra strings, ripped his Kunai through the Achilles tendons, but not before the Nin managed to swipe the side of his face with a fire attack. Unable to move because of his severed tendons, the nin really had no chance. Shiro plunged his kunai through the man's hands, debilitating the man further, before knocking him out.

Kakashi had summoned his dogs who had swarmed the remaining shinobi, before quickly tying the man up.

The Iwa nin had been either high level genin or low leveled chunin, but it was still an accomplishment for Shiro and Kakashi to have subdued them so quickly.

Minato smiled proudly at them before proceeding to interrogate their captives. According to the Iwa shinobi, they had been ordered to raid any merchant for their supplies and take them back the supplies back to Iwa. This spoke of the financial and economic situation in Iwa. Konoha had blocked off trade routes between Iwa and its allies earlier in the year, and it seemed they were getting desperate.

The shinobi were knocked out, and the group was on their way. Obito was oddly quiet, which drew the attention of Shiro.

"Obito-san? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, nothing really."

Shiro, while not the most adept at understanding social cues and people in general, could tell that there was indeed something wrong with Obito, but he did not know how to call him on it.

It was frustrating to Shiro, because people didn't make sense to him at all. There was very little he could study that would tell him why humans did what they did. He would readily admit to having been screwed up by Unko-Uchi. In the U.U., it was everyone for themselves. But if you were lucky, and had someone willing to listen, you didn't lie if they asked what was wrong. You talked about it, because they genuinely cared. They wouldn't ask if they didn't. There was no point in lying, so Shiro didn't understand why Obito refused to say what was bothering him.

"Obito-san…something /is/ bothering you…is it not?" he tried carefully enunciating the words, as though trying not to be awkward.

"It's nothing, just like I said. I'm noth- nevermind."

'But something is wrong,' thought Shiro confusedly. 'why won't you tell me what?'

(*_*)

**this chapter was more for building up Shiro's personality and quirks. Unko-Uchi just screwed him over exponentially. He's kind of Socially slow, unable to understand the need humans have to hide their problems behind a mask. Even when he was Naruto, you couldn't accuse him of being socially adept. He was more of the "Look at me, look at me!" type of dude.**

**Also in this chapter, you got to see Obito having a moment of self doubt. Don't hate me, please, he'll get over it soon.**

**Read and Review!**

**Quin.**


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